Cutting apparatus for harvesters.



PATENTBD MAY 31, 1904.'

A @Alforgeys No. 761.9)59l w. R, GLARKSON. CUTTING APPARATUS TORHARVESTERS.

APPLUATION FILED JAN. 27, 1904.

NO MODEL.

i UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904; y

PATENTi OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. OLAEKsON. OE NORTH YAKI'MA, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OE)NE-EOUETHy TVO JAMES L. OOURTRIGHT AND JAMES E. OOURTEIGHT,

OE NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

CUTTING AF'PAFIATUS- FOR HARVESTERS.

SPEIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '761,359, dated May 31,v1904:.

` n Application filed `January 2,7, 1904. Serial No. 190,856.. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern: Beit known that I, WILLIAM R. CLARKsON, acitizen of the United States, residing at North Yakima, in -the countyof Yakima and .State of Washington, have invented a new and useful`Cutting Apparatus for Harvesters, of which the following is aspecification.

-This invention relates to cutting apparatus forreapers, mowers,lawn-mowers, and other 1o machines for cutting grain, grass, and othercrops; and it has for its object to provide a cutting apparatus whichshall be simple in construction and easily and effectively operatedvwith light expenditure of power.

With these and other ends in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, thesarne consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, whichwill behereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims(` Inthe accompanying drawings has been shown a simple and'prefe'rred form ofembodiment of my invention, it being understood that'Ido not necessarilylimitmyself to the precise structural details therein exhibited, butreserve the right to any changes and modiications which lie within the'scope of the invention and which may b e resorted to with- 3ooutdeparting from the spirit or'sacrificing the utility of the same. Inthe drawings, Figure `1 is a top plan vie of a device constructed inaccordance with the:

principles of my invention. Fig; Q'is a front elevation, partly insection, of the same. Fig. 3 is Va vertical sectional view taken throughthe vertical cutting apparatus. Fig." 4 is a sectional view taken ontheline 4 4 in Fig. 1. f Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the doublecrank used in connection with my invention'. Corresponding parts in theseveral figures are indicated by similar numerals of reference.

` In carrying lout my invention I yprovide apair of reversely andoppositely reciprocating sickle-bars, one of which (designated 1) isSuperposed upon the other (designated 2) and eachof these carries bladesor cutters 3 of ordinary construction, the cutting edges 0f,

which face and' coperate with each other. The sickle-bars 1 2 are shownas mounted upon a supporting-bar 4, which is provided with suitableguides for the sickle-bars. This supporting-bar is to be suitablyconnected with the frame of the machine to which my invention is appliedin the manner of the ordinary finger-bar; but no connecting means havebeen shown, inasmuch as such means do'not form a part of my invention. Iwould have it understood that guard-fingers may be used iniconnectionwith my invention; but I do not deem them necessary or essential, and

they have notbeen shown in the drawings.

5 designates a suitably-supported driven shaft having'a pair ofoppositely-disposed cranks 6 6,' which are connected by pitmen 7 7 withthe sickle-.heads of the respective sickle-bars. f At their inner endsthe pitmen 7 are provided with oppositely-disposed straps 8, securedthereto by means of rivets 9 and yclamping-bolts 10, which latter serveto secure between the outer ends of the straps 8 f the boxes 11, whichengage the cranks 6.

i The outer end of each of the pitmen 7 is provided with a pair ofoppositely-disposeol straps 12 suitably secured thereto and providedupon their inner ends with approximately semispherical bulbs 13,engaging correspondingly-shaped recesses 14 in opposite sides of n lugs15, mounted uponvthe respective sickleheads. It will be observed that bythis construction -.a ball-and-socket connection is established betweenthe pitmenand sickle-bars, which' latter will thus be reverselyreciprocated by the pitmen without danger of binding and with alight-degree of friction. 85

The outer end of the supporting-bar 4 carf ries a shoe 16, withl whichit may be suitably connected by means of bolts or fastening devicesextending through a heel-plate 17, extending rearwardly from said shoe,which latter serves in the usual manner to divide the grain that is tobe left standing from that included in the swath cut 'by "the machine.This shoe is constructed with a back wall 18, withl which at 18a ispivotally connected a rocking lever 19, provided at its upper end withlaterally-extending arms 20, having forwardly-extending pins 36,carrying antifriction-rollers 37. The lower arm or member 22 of rtherocking lever has a pin 23, carrying an antifriction-roller 24, engaginga notch or recess 25 in a block or boxing 26, mounted upon thesickle-bar 1 at the outer end of the latter. It is obvious that the shoe16 constitutes a casing for the rocking member 19 and which is providedin the side thereof with a slot or opening 27, into which the outer endsof the sickle-bars areextended.

The upper side of the casing formed by the shoe has an opening28, abovekwhich is disposed a sheath 29, taperingat its lower end, as shown at30, and provided with a laterallyextending flange 31 for the passage ofbolts `32, by means o'f which the said sheath is firmly secured upon theupper side of theshoe. The sheath 29 contains a pair ofvertically-reciprocating sickle-bars 83, having blades or cutters 34extending through a slot or opening in the front side of said sheath anddisposed in contact with each other, like the blades of the sickle-bars1 and 2. Each of the sickle-bars 33 is provided at its lower end'with alug 35,' accommodated in the lower tapering or expanded portion of thesheath and each provided with a notch or recess 21, engaging theantifriction-roller 36 upon one of the laterally-extending arms 2O ofthe rocking member 19.

It will be seen from the foregoing description yand by reference to thedrawings'that when the device is in operation the sickle-bar 1 2 willreceive through the medium of the pitmen 7 an oppositely-reciprocatorymovement from the cranks 6 upon the driven shaft 5, the said sickle-barsbeing thus operated to cut the swath. At the same time the uppersickle-bar by means ofthe block 26 at its outer end and the notch orrecess engaging -the antifriction-roller upon the lower end of therocking member 19 will impart to the latter an oscillatory movement,whereby the vertically-disposed sickle-bars will be reverselyreciprocated, thus serving to cut through matted and tangledgrain,`which is guided to the vertically-disposed cutting apparatus bymeans ofthe shoe 16. The latter is provided with a suitably-disposedslot 38 for the passage of the blades of the verticallyreciprocatingsickle-bars, so that the tangled or matted grain will be operated uponas soon as it is lifted by the action of the shoe into engagement withthe lower portion of the vertical cutting apparatus and that anyentanglement which might operate to retard the progress of the machineis thus avoided.

I desire it to be especially noted that in the construction of myimproved cutting apparatus I so proportion the parts that the throw ormovement of the sickle-bars shall be as short as possible consistentwith good results. In

ordinary mo wing-machines and harvesters the cranks operating the pitmenusually have a three-inch throw. In my improved machine I propose to useonly a one-and-one-half-inch crank, this being found perfectly effectivein View of the fact that the sickle-bars are reversely operated, asherein shown and described. rIhev consequence is that my improvedcutting apparatus, including the vertical cutting apparatus at the outerend of the horizontally-disposed cutting device, may be operated with adraft not exceeding and even less than that required to operate acutting apparatus having only a single sickle-bar. This is obviously afeature of great importance and one the advantages of which will begreatly appreciated by those interested in this class of machinery. Idesire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of substitutingfor the use of cranks such obvious equivalents as cccentrics for thepurpose of transmitting motion by means of pitmen to the reciprocatorysicklebars without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In al device of theclass described, a supporting-bar, a pair of oppositely-reciprocatorysickle-bars mounted upon the latter, a shoe at the outer end of thesupporting-bar,-said shoe having a back wall, cutting apparatusincluding a pair of vertically-reciprocating bars supported by saidshoe, a rocking lever pivotally supported upon the back wall of the shoeand having laterally-extending arms and a downwardly-extending member,antifriction-rollers upon said laterallyextending arms anddownwardly-extending member, a block upon the outer end of the uppermosthorizontal sickle-bar, having a notch engaging the roller upon thedownwardly-extending member of the rocking lever, and blocks upon thelower ends of the verticallyreciprocating sicklebars,having notchesengaging the antifrictionrollers upon the laterally-extending arms ofthe rocking member.

2. In a device-f the class described, a shoe having a back wall andprovided with an opening in its upper side, a sheatlrmounted upon saidshoe above the opening therein and having an expanded lower end and aslotted front side, vertical reciprocatory sickle-bars mounted in saidsheath, provided at their lower ends with blocks accommodated in theexpanded portion thereof and having notches formed therein, a rockinglever mounted pivotally upon the back wall of the shoe and havingantifriction-rollers engaging said notched blocks, and means forimparting an oscillatory motion to said rocking lever.

3. In a device of the class described,the combination of asupporting-bar, a pair of oppositely reciproeatory, sickle bars upon thesame, a shoe at the outer end of the supporting-bar, said shoe having aback wall and an opening in the upper side thereof,an upwardlyextendingsheath mounted upon the shoe above lOO l'lO

said opening,apair of vertically-reciprocatory I my own I have heretoaiiixed my signature in cutter-bars disposed in said sheath, end meansthe presence of two Witnesses. for transmitting motion in oppositeireetions v from the upper sickle-bar upon the support- Y WILL-IAM R'CLARKSON 5 ing-bar to the Vertically-reciprooatory sickle- Witnesses:

bars in the sheath. MARTIN SGHICHTL, In testimony that I claim theforegoing as 'l FRED CHANDLER.

